‘Upper Crust Bagels’ To Open in Former Bruegger’s Space in New Canaan

A locally owned bakery and café that’s developed a loyal following after 20 years in business one town away is set to open a new shop in the former Bruegger’s Bagels location in downtown New Canaan.

Upper Crust Bagels signed a lease Wednesday and will open in one to two months, according to owner Charlie Sahlia.

Sahlia said he’s been hoping to open in New Canaan for a long time but has found rental rates on Elm and Main Streets cost-prohibitive. The town is “very family-oriented, with a lot of kids and there are businesses there we can cater to,” Sahlia said.

“But what we pride ourselves in creating at Upper Crust is it’s a ‘neighborhoody,’ healthier alternative to lunch and breakfast,” he told NewCanaanite.com. “We make things as much as we can from natural and organic ingredients and make on premises and it is not anything bought from a big corporation that comes in and unloads trucks of processed foods. So we have the bagels, obviously, and muffins we make and also we do chopped salads that we will bring to New Canaan, and sandwiches and catering and of course, good coffee.”

Officially named ‘Upper Crust Bakery and Café,’ the business has been serving Darien since 1997 and about 18 months ago, Sahlia expanded to a second shop in Trumbull near Sacred Heart University that he said has fared very well there.

New Canaanites have been without a dedicated bagel shop since Bruegger’s closed its doors in early December.